You’re plugging away at your computer creating a social media post. You know you aren’t very design-minded, and you don’t particularly like managing your business’s social media account, but you know it’s part of marketing yourself. You spend hours planning, designing, recording, and scheduling your posts. At the end of the week, you look at your overall engagements. You become frustrated at the amount of time you spent compared to the amount of people you reached.

The people you reach on social are what we call “passive searchers” in the marketing world. They are people who need your product or service, but they don’t know they need it yet. It takes a while to receive ROI from doing social media marketing alone. Did you know that there are three other types of people out there besides passive searchers? The best part: the other categories of prospects are even easier to reach and convert into customers. Let’s take a look at all the buying cycles so that you can understand how to allocate your marketing time.

Awareness Stage: Passive Searchers

At the onset of the buying cycle, consumers are in the awareness stage, where they recognize a need or problem. They are seeking information and exploring various options. Marketers must create content that educates and grabs attention, as individuals in this stage are receptive to discovering solutions. You may have a very wide reach of people in this category through social media and event marketing, which is great! But this group of people is also the group that has the slowest ROI because they have another step in the process to venture through.

Consideration Stage: Active Searchers

As consumers move into the consideration stage, they are actively researching and evaluating different products or services. Content that highlights the unique selling propositions of a product or service is crucial here. Marketing efforts to compel active searchers include email marketing, reputation management, and pay per click advertising.

Decision Stage: Making the Purchase

The decision stage is the tipping point where consumers are ready to make a purchase. Marketers should focus on creating a sense of urgency, offering promotions, and showcasing trustworthiness to encourage the final conversion.

Advocacy Stage: Your Client Repertoire

After the purchase, the relationship between the consumer and the brand doesn’t end. Marketers should engage with customers through post-purchase communication, such as thank-you emails, surveys, and loyalty programs. This stage is vital for building brand loyalty and encouraging repeat business. It’s easier to convince one customer to buy 100 times than it is to convince 100 customers to buy one time.

Understanding the different types of customers can help you segment your time and energy accordingly. At In Transit Studios, we recommend focusing on your current customers first, then active searchers, then passive searchers. In fact, we can teach you how to execute these strategies through a free Blueprint consultation. Go ahead and schedule your Blueprint to get a clear plan established for your business.